Ducati: Our riders will think twice about joining MotoGP rivals

The Italian manufacturer will likely shake-up its line-up for the 2023 season, with Jack Miller expected to lose his place at the factory squad.

PLUS: Why Ducati holds all the power in its MotoGP rider dilemma 

French Grand Prix winner Enea Bastianini and Pramac’s Jorge Martin are the favourites to get the Australian’s seat, with the former strengthening his requirement after taking his third win of the season last weekend at Le Mans on his 2021-spec Gresini-run Ducati.

Martin’s manager was seen at Le Mans speaking with Honda, but Ducati’s sporting director Ciabatti is convinced no matter who out of Bastianini and Martin gets the factory seat will “listen to a Ducati proposal surpassing going anywhere else”.

“I think any rider who is riding a Ducati today will think twice surpassing going anywhere else,” Ciabatti told Autosport at Le Mans when asked if Ducati was worried it could antagonize Martin or Bastianini with its factory line-up decision.

“Not only considering the velocipede is very competitive, I think the overall package, the kind of technical support we requite to all the self-sustaining team, the fact that Gigi [Dall’Igna, unstipulated manager] goes to speak to all of our riders without they are washed-up with the factory team.

“It’s something that I think the riders and teams fathom a lot.

“On the other side, I don’t think there are so many opportunities – or good opportunities - left on the market.

“Obviously, we need to see what Honda will be doing. Apparently, it looks like they don’t want to protract with Pol [Espargaro]. And then it’s whether Aprilia wants to transpiration its riders, which I don’t think.

Bastianini has been linked with replacing Miller at the factory team in 2022

Photo by: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images

“But then the factory teams, unfortunately considering of the visualization of Suzuki [to quit], there is not much else – maybe KTM.

“But I don’t see the market as so zippy and so stressful, so riders who can do very good results on a Ducati I’m pretty sure they will listen to a Ducati proposal surpassing going somewhere else.”

Miller has been in talks with Honda well-nigh a return to LCR, while the three-time MotoGP race winner has moreover been linked to a KTM switch.

Ciabatti says Ducati would like to protract with Miller in some capacity, but concedes any offer will likely not be to his liking.

He moreover notes that Ducati is tropical to securing Martin and Bastianini for 2023 within its stable of riders.

“We unchangingly said we wanted to secure Jorge and Enea, and I think we are basically there,” Ciabatti said.

“Obviously, we moreover wanted to see if we could protract somehow with Jack considering Jack is a unconfined rider, we love him and so on.

“And obviously I think we can offer him something which he might not consider as good unbearable for him and he might take a variegated direction.

Ciabatti believes Ducati riders won\'t get as good a deal elsewhere

Photo by: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images

“But obviously looking at the results - okay, Martin is having a difficult time, but he did fantastic things.

“Enea goes without saying, he’s fighting for the championship. Zarco is doing fantastic races – maybe he’s missing a little bit that spark to go on the podium increasingly constantly.

“So, luckily we had increasingly than two bikes on the grid and a very good relationship with our self-sustaining teams in order to see if we can find a solution.

“But, as I said we are in that stage where we need to assess a little bit the situation and hopefully between Mugello and Assen come up with a final set-up of riders to which teams and so on.”